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Make a paracord bracelet

Let’s get this straight. This is not your average friendship bracelet. This is a paracord bracelet. Paracord as in the stuff from parachutes.

It’s tougher, more hardy, more adventurous than your regular friendship bracelet. The girls from the Bodyform ads would wear it if they could. It hints at days spent throwing yourself out of a plane for fun with a balloon-y thing on your back.

And we imagine if you ever accidentally threw yourself out of the plane before you put your parachute on that your instructor would be able to drag you back in by the scruff of your paracord bracelet. It’s that strong. Plus the flecks in the material glint.

It’s the perfect guest to a wrist party, too. See how nice it looks next to Alice’s digital watch and Links of London bracelet? You get to say “Oh, this old thing? Knocked it up myself. Out of paracord. Yeah that’s the one, the stuff from parachutes. Have I ever done a parachute jump myself, you ask? Er, of course ye’ – oooooh, is that the canapé tray?”

2. Make a loop towards one end of your paracord; the leftover cord at end-A should be at least 8cm long.

3. Take end-B and thread it over then under the loop. 4. Now make a V-shape in the loop, pulling the top down over the bottom – like so!

5. Now take end-B again and thread over the ‘point’ of the V and under the next piece of paracord. (This bold and italic thing is working, isn’t it..?)

6. Now pull end-A and end-B gently at the same time.

7. Tighten and tamper a little with your finished knot to make it neat like the one above.

8. Now thread your large-hole bead on to one end of the paracord.

9. Push the opposite end of your paracord through the large-hole bead, too. You will need your pointy tweezers to help get it through. It’s a tight squeeze. Don’t be put off. This tightness is what gives your bracelet its tension/ability to pull open and squeeze close.

10. In order to get the right fit for your bracelet and to know how much leftover paracord to cut off the ends, you’ll need to try your bracelet on; squeeze it past your knuckles. It should be a comfy but snug fit.

11. Now ease your hand out of your bracelet again and, without adjusting the loop’s size, manoeuvre your bead a bit so it sits nice and central.

12. Now tie a knot at each end of your paracord, as close to the bead as poss.

13. Cut off the leftover paracord.

14. Flick on your lighter. Hold the flame close to, but not touching, the ends of your bracelet. We’re melting the ends so they don’t fray, not singeing the blighters. Leave them to cool. (By the way, slightly chipped nail varnish is where it’s at these days.)

15. Next, apply to wrist – pulling your bracelet open as wide as you need to, to get your hand in, then pulling it closed again.

16. Et voila! A crash course in using paracord for something even more useful than those handy suspension line things on parachutes.

* If you like this but can’t be arsed to make it, fret not. We’ll have neon green, gold, black and grey-blue versions, with a sterling silver bead, in our shop from next Friday (23 Oct).